Epidemic disease constitutes a substantial threat to the viability of species, especially of endangered,
social species. In the latest issue of Bulletin of Mathematical Biology, a group of Chinese scientists together
with C·I·B researcher Cang Hui explored the complex dynamics and spatial patterns related to this question (figures
from the publication are shown here). They combined mathematical analysis with computer simulation as a powerful tool to foresee
the profound effect of epidemic transmission in an ecological system, in what is an emerging field known as the
eco-epidemiology. Not only were they able to simulate a variety of realistic spatial patterns, but also gain insights into
the effect of habitat destruction on disease control.